Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" A Lovely Boston Lyric Opera Production -- Still Time to See It

REVIEW -- Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" ("The Elixir of Love") premiered in Milan in 1832 and has been beloved since for its comedic, romantic boy-meets-girl plot and its gleeful confection of a score and songs. Director James Robinson keeps a nice pace throughout the opera, emphasizing the fun and joy of Donizetti's score. The wonderful new production for Boston Lyric Opera is a treat, like a breezy summer’s day spent with good friends, albeit with a tiny squabble or two mixed in. And this love’s labor is not lost, for it has a happy ending. No one leaves heavy-hearted, clutching a hankie. Hooray for Love!

Donizetti's original opera takes place in the early 19th-century Italian countryside. Director Robinson changed the setting to a rural early 1900s America in this Boston Lyric Opera production. A painted stage curtain of fields, streams, cows and a horse sets the mood for the opera --think Norman Rockwell and the Berkshires. Allen Moyer’s set is terrific, gleeful and creative, featuring a white bandstand on the town commons. Costumes by Martin Pakledinaz are vibrant.

As the curtain rises, the town commons and bandstand appear and Nemorino, the simple, good-hearted fellow and ice cream man, drives onstage in a converted Model T truck to sell ice cream to the townsfolk, who are hanging around, socializing.

Tenor Eric Cutler as lovesick Nemorino is superb and wins the audience’s heart immediately, even if his beloved, Adina, laughs and taunts him. After all, to her he is just a bumptious ice-cream guy. Cutler’s acting and comedic skills enhanced his stupendous, soaring voice. He mesmerized me whenever he sang. Finally, in Act II, his heartfelt emotion eventually even won over the silly Adina. Cheers for his Act II aria, "Una furtiva lagrima."

Soprano Maria Kanyova sang Adina in a lighthearted, charming voice. James Westman as Belcore, the sergeant – new kid in town – wooed and won Adina in a day with his bold charismatic, manner, throwing Nemorino into gloom.
Enter a traveling salesman and huckster, Dr. Dulcamara. With the “help” of “Dr.” Dulcamara, performed and sung by Dale Travis, Nemorino eventually won the girl. Travis’ strong bass and comedy skills were a pleasure to listen to, and although the audience knew his “cure” for Nemorino was Bordeaux, Dulcamara fooled Nemorino. Emboldened by the guaranteed “cure,” Nemorino bought a bottle of elixir, drank, got tipsy, and eventually won Adina. Ah, then the rest of the villagers bought the “cure.” Soprano Ji Young Yang sweetly sang the role of the village girl Giannetta. Somehwere in the plot Nemorino enlists in the army, gets rich and gets the girl. Happy ending.
The audience gave a standing ovation for the BLO's longtime music director Stephen Lord, who is performing his final season with the BLO. The orchestra was superb under his guidance.

L’elisir d’amore is a co-production by BLO and Opera Colorado.
L’elisir d’amore will be sung in Italian with projected English translation The Shubert Theater is at 265 Tremont Street in Boston’s Theatre District. Single tickets on sale now for L’elisir, starting at $33. The next production is The Abduction from the Seraglio April 25-May 6. Visit www.citicenter.org or call (866) 348-9738 for tickets and information.

Opera photo, courtesy of Opera Colorado, by Matthew Staver.